Milk-can-cover fastener



April 22 1924. 1,491,013

M. R. KELLY MILK CAN COVER FASTENER Filed Feb. 8, 1925 1 N VENTOK Patented Apr. 22,. 1924,

UNITED STATES MICHAEL n. KELLY, or new YORK, N. Y.

MILK-CAN-COVER FASTENER.

Application filed February '8, 1928,

Z '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I MICHAEL'R. KELLY, a citizen of the UnitedStates, and resident of New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Milk-CanCo-ver Fasteners, of which the following is a specification. I a

The invention relates in general to an improved means for securing a closure to a receptacle and the invention specifically relates to simplified means for securing a cover to a milk can.

It has been found in transporting milk cans that the covers become detached from the cans and large numbers of these covers are lost, particularly in the handling of empty cans. Numerous attempts have been made to provide some; form of fastening means which will retain the cover to the can and at the same time provide a connection which will not interfere with the pouring of liquid from the can or with the cleaning of such cans. Constructions heretofore used for this purposehave been impractical, due among other reasons to the fact that theywere cumbersome, detracted from the appearance of the can, "prevented the cans from being packed one on or against the other and added abnormally to the cost of such cans.

The primary object of this invention is i y to provide a simplified and inexpensive form all) of fastening means which will attain the advantages of and at the same time be substantially free of the disadvantages above outlined.

Various other objects and advantages of the invention will be in part obvious from an inspection of the accompanying drawings and in part will be more fully set forth in the following particular description of one form of mechanism embodying my invendown upon the device disclosed in Figure Serial No. 617,677.

1 with the closure in open position and with parts broken away to show details of construction.

In the drawings there is shown a milk can 10 provided with a domed upper portionll forming the breast of the can which breast merges vinto a cylindrical neck 12.

The neck defines a pouring throat and termmates man open top 13. The top Is of greater horizontal cross sectional area than the corresponding area of the throat 12 tional form of cover 15.

A pair of L-shaped brackets 16 and 17 are fastened to the outside ofthe neck 12 by means of rivets 18 extending through their vertical flanges 19 and through the side of the can as shown in Figure 2. Each bracket includes a horizontally disposed and radially extending flange 20 which is provided with an elongated slot 21. These slots are positioned outwardly beyond the vertically and downwardly projected out line of the top 12 so that the links hereinafter described can depend vertically from the-cover and clear the edge of the top of the can. These flanges are disposed on one side of the can, extend less than 180 degrees apart, considered circumferential of the throat, and, as shown in Figure 1 are about 135 degrees apart.

A pair of links 21 and 22 have their upper ends, when considering the showing in Figure 1, secured rigidly to the cover 15 preferably by upsetting the upper ends of the links as shown at 23 in Figure 1. links are each preferably formed of a metallic rod L-shaped in outline with a relatively long portion 24: adjacent the can i and a relatively short angular disposed free end portion 25. The rods are passed through the slots 21 and the free end of each rod is bent back upon itself to form an enlargement 26 of such a size as will prevent the movement of the rods out of the slots 21. In this way the rods are loosely held to the brackets.

In operation and assuming that the cover is in the closed position shown in Figure 1 and that it is desired to remove the cover from its closing position, the operator simply lifts the cover in the manner usual in removing this part and permits the cover to fall over into engagement with the can and The into position resting onthe breast of the can as shown in Figure 2. In lifting the cover vertically the long portions 24 of the links will pass upwardly through the slots and when the cover is swung over into its open position the short arms 25 of the links will permit the cover to fall into the posi tion shown in Figure 2 and act with a'leverage effect to maintainthe enlarged ends 25 in frictional or rather jamming engagement with the elongated slots 21. I

It will be seen from this construction that the cover is at all times retained to the milk can but the securing connection in 'no way interferes with the normal opening or closing movement of the cover. The throat of the can is fully exposed when the cover is in open'position as shown in Figure 2 and the contents of the can can be readily poured without interference from the open cover. As the securing means is formed simply of a pair of'flanged brackets, rivets and a conple of wires or rods, the cost of such connection is trivial and can be readily applied to standard forms of cans without modifying their construction and simply by riveting the parts in position.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a milk can closure, the combination of a milk can provided with a throat and an overhanging top having a cross-sectional area greater than the similar area of the throat, a pair of horizontally extending flanges securedto the outside of the throat and projecting radially beyond the downwardly projected outlines of the open top, said flanges each provided with a slot, aclosure for the top, said closure provided with a pair of L-shaped connecting links extending rigidly from the closure and movable with the closure in said slots and the free ends of the links being enlarged to prevent the escape of the links from the flanges thereby to permit a movement of the closure into an open position and still be secured to the can.

2. In a milk can closure, the combination of a milk can provided with a throat and an overhanging tophaving a cross-sectional area greater than the similar area of the throat, a pair of horizontally extending flanges secured to the outside of the throat and projecting radially beyond the downwardly projected outlines of the open top and positioned less than 180 apart considered circumferentially of the throat, said flanges each provided with a slot, a closure for the top, said closure provided with a pair of L-shaped connecting links extending rigidly from the closure and movable with the closure in said slots, and the free ends of the links being enlarged to prevent the escape of the links from the flanges thereby t permit a movement of the closure into an open position and still be secured to the can.

3. In a closure for a receptacle, the combination of a receptacle provided with an open top, a slotted flange projecting outwardly from the side of the receptacle, a closure for said open top and a link secured at one end to the closure depending rigidly .therefrom and slidable in the slot in the flange to permit the movement of the closure to and from its closing position and said link provided with means at its free end adapted to engage the flange for preventing the separation of the link from the flange.

4. In a device of the class described, the combination with a receptacle and a closure therefor, of an L-shaped bracket having one flange secured to the receptacle and the other flange provided with a slot, a rod secured rigidl'y at one end to the closure passed through said slot and provided at its free end with an enlargement to prevent the rod from passing from the flange when the closure is lifted clear of the receptacle.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, this 29th day of Jan. A. D. 1923.

MICHAEL R. KELLY.

Witness:

SARA A. THORNTON. 

